The Bishop Fire Protection District and the City of Bishop have had a long-standing agreement to work together to provide fire services for the Greater Bishop Area. This agreement was most recently in the form of a Joint Powers Agreement dated July 1, 2019. This newly drafted agreement will replace the 2019 agreement and outlines a system in line with how the Fire Department and entities currently function.
At our July 27, 2026, meeting this agreement was discussed and Council asked that additional language regarding the roles of the Fire Protection District Board and City Council members be included.
The following sentence was added to the agreement in Section 5.A.
The Fire Chief receives administrative direction from the Fire Protection District Board and City Council only through formal action taken as a body (e.g., a vote in a properly noticed meeting) — no individual Board or Council member has authority to direct the Chief acting alone. The City Administrator may give the Chief specific direction individually, consistent with their administrative authority.
This agreement was reviewed approved by the Bishop Fire Protection District at their meeting on September 3, 2026.
Fire Chief Russell, Finance Director Aukee, and City Administrator Foster have worked with legal counsel from both agencies to draft this new agreement that better describes the relationship that exists between the District and the City. We believe that this structure maintains the intent of previous agreements, while addressing operational and fiscal realities of each agency.
Additionally, this agreement allows for more flexibility in operating while further evaluation and analysis related to the District's options for expanded service areas or the ability to charge for services.